Divider construction

ABSTRACT

A divider construction for a paperboard container comprising an envelope and a handle having a grip portion, said grip portion of said handle being movable into and out of said envelope, said envelope including an anchor panel for said handle, said handle and said anchor panel each having a parting edge, said parting edge of said handle being in juxtaposed relation to said parting edge of said anchor panel, tearable joining means integrally formed with said handle and with said anchor panel joining said handle to said anchor panel characterized by a bar formation that joins said handle and said anchor panel, one end of said bar formation being spaced from the other end of the bar formation in the direction of the parting edges whereby when said handle is separated from said anchor panel in a direction across the direction of said parting edges, said bar is twisted and tears whereby said handle becomes separated from said anchor panel.

United States Patent [191 Dewhurst Jan. 14, 1975 DIVIDER CONSTRUCTION[76] Inventor: Ernest James Dewhurst, 29

Euphrasia Dr., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6B 3V8 221 Filed: Sept. 27,1973 211 Appl. No.2 401,405

2,609,137 9/1952 Toensmeier 206/166 Primary Examiner-Leonard D.Christian Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fetherstonhaugh & Co.

[57] ABSTRACT A divider construction for a paperboard containercomprising an envelope and a handle having a grip portion, said gripportion of said handle being movable into and out of said envelope, saidenvelope including an anchor panel for said handle, said handle and saidanchor panel each having a parting edge, said parting edge of saidhandle being in juxtaposed relation to said parting edge of said anchorpanel, tearable joining means integrally formed with said handle andwith said anchor panel joining said handle to said anchor panelcharacterized by a bar formation that joins said handle and said anchorpanel, one end of said bar formation being spaced from the other end ofthe bar formation in the direction of the parting edges whereby whensaid handle is separated from said anchor panel in a direction acrossthe direction of said parting edges, said bar is twisted and tearswhereby said handle becomes separated from said anchor panel.

5 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures DIVIDER CONSTRUCTION This invention relatesto a divider handle construction for a paper board container of the typehaving a carrying handle that can be gripped and slid upwardly of thecontainer from a retracted position within the envelope formation of thedivider to an operative position where it can be used to carry thecontainer. More particularly it relates to a divider handle constructionin which the slideable carrying handle is formed integrally with but isseverable from the stationary divider. It is concerned with theseverable interconnection of the handle from the stationary divider.

Dividers of the general type under consideration are illustrated in U.S.Pat. No. 2,609,l 37. With dividers of this type, the carrying handle isformed integrally with the divider construction, but the interconnectionis such that it can be manually broken by a user of the container whoslides the handle upwardly of the divider. It has been usual tointerconnect the handle to the divider construction by means of anintermittent cut. The handle is separated from the anchor panel of thecontainer except at small spaced apart lengths which are designed to bebroken by the handle lifting force.

One of the difficulties with divider handle constructions of this typeis that the interconnection between the handle and the dividerconstruction is sometimes difficult to break. It is not always possibleto sufficiently reduce the strength of the interconnection by reducingthe length of the uncut portions of the connecting line because if it isweakened sufficiently for easy breaking away, the handle tends to breakoff during the setting up of the container. The handle must be rigidlyenough attached to the divider construction to withstand the foldingoperations in the manufacture of the container. At the same time it mustbe severable with a light upward force during use.

This invention has a construction for the interconnection of the handleand the divider construction that is easy to sever and at the same timegives the necessary strength to permit the container to withstand thenormal stresses involved in the manufacturing operation.

With these and other objects in view, a divider construction accordingto this invention comprises an envelope and a handle having a gripportion, said grip portion of said handle being movable into and out ofsaid envelope, said envelope including an anchor panel for said handle,said handle and said anchor panel each having a parting edge, saidparting edge of said handle being in juxtaposed relation to said partingedge of said anchor panel. Tearable joining means integrally formed withthe handle and with the anchor panel joining the handle to the anchorpanel characterized by an elongated bar formation that joins said handleand said anchor panel, one end of the bar formation being spaced fromthe other end of the bar formation in the direction of the parting edgewhereby when the handle is separated from the anchor panel in adirection across the parting edge the bar rotates about an end portionand tears across its width whereby said handle becomes separated fromsaid anchor panel.

The invention will be clearly understood after reference to thefollowing detailed specification read in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container in a set up position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the initial stressing of the connectingbars as the handle is initially separated from the anchor panel;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the severed bars; and

FIGS. 7 to 9 inclusive are schematic view of alternative designs.

In the drawings, a container of the general type illustrated in US. Pat.No. 2,609,137 has been illustrated. It has a central divider with aretractable handle therein. When the container is initially formed byfolding the hinged panels thereof, the handle is integrally connected toan anchor panel within the envelope of the divider for subsequent manualseparation therefrom. The container is not illustrated in detail in thisapplication and it will be appreciated that the particular container isillustrated only for the purposes of showing an envelope type dividerthat has a slideable handle therein.

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a chip board container which hasside walls 10, end walls 12 and a divider wall generally indicated bythe numeral 14 which extends for the length of the container between theend walls 12. The container in the embodiment illustrated is formed froma series of hingedly connected panels as illustrated in US. Pat. No.2,609,137. The divider construction generally indicated by the numeral14 comprises two outer panels 16 joined at their upper edge by a foldline 18 which is cut away at its midsection to provide an opening 20 forthe passage of the gripping portion of the handle member 22. It will benoted that the handle member 22 has shoulders 24 adjacent its lower endwhich engage with and interlock with the inside of the fold line 18 tolimit the extension of the handle 22 out of the envelope.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the handle member 22 isformed by double plies 26 of paperboard which are each severablyconnected to an anchor panel 28 located between the outer panels 16 aswill be described later.

As indicated above, the precise nature of the handle member 22 and theenvelope which encloses it is not material to the invention. Theinvention is the manner of interconnecting the handle member 22 with theanchor panel 28 of the divider construction so that it can be easilysevered and slid to an extended position in use.

The nature of a preferred manner of making this interconnection isillustrated in FIG. 4. The handle member 22 and the anchor panels 28 areinterconnected along their respective parting edges by means ofelongated bar formations 32. The respective members have a cut linebetween them except for the bar member. It will be noted that each barformation joins with the handle member and with the anchor member andthat the ends of the bar members are spaced apart from each other in thedirection of the parting line 34 between the handle and the anchormembers.

As the gripping portion of the handle member is pulled through theopening 20 in the top of the envelope formation of the divider and slidfrom the envelope, the bars 32 are twisted at their end portions withthe result that they tear transversely, usually adjacent one of the endportions. FIG. 5 is an illustration of the twisting motion that takesplace in the connecting bars as the handle 22 is initially separatedfrom the anchor panel 28. Numeral 29 is an arrow indicating thepreferred grain direction of the paperboard.

As the bar is twisted due to the separation of the handle and the anchorpanel one edge of the bar is compressed and the other edge is stressedin tension. Tear initiates at the edge that is under tension andproceeds across the bar as separation of the handle from the anchorpanel continues. The tear tends to be in grain direction whichpreferably extends across the bar. The twisting action tends to takeplace at each end of the bar. The bar will tear adjacent one or theother end and not always at the same end in each instance.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the severed pieces.

It will be appreciated that the parting line illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6is duplicated on each of the two plies of the handle.

It will be noted that the connecting bars 32 are in pairs and that onebar of each pair is located above the principal axis of the parting lineand the other bar of each pair is located below the principal directionof the parting line. This avoids a tendency for the handle to fold atthe parting line during assembly of the blank.

The form of the interconnection shown in FIG. 5 is not the only form andFIGS. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate some alternative forms of interconnectingbars.

In each case an elongated bar formation would join the parting edge ofthe handle member and the anchor portion of the divider assembly. InFIG. 7 the bar 36 would connect to the handle adjacent one end along itsside edge and would connect to the anchor portion at its other end. InFIG. 8 the bar 38 is formed with an offset portion in its middle andwould connect at one end with the handle and at its other end with theanchor. The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 has two bars 40 and 42 injuxtaposed relation each connected at one end to the handle and at oneside adjacent its other end to the anchor.

In the case of each embodiment the one end of the bar formation isspaced from the other end of the bar formation in the direction of thecut parting edge of the anchor and panel whereby when the handle isseparated from its anchor panel in a direction across the parting edgeof the anchor panel the bars are twisted and tear across their width.Tearing stress is applied adjacent both ends of the bar but the breakwill occur at one end first depending on the design and on the nature ofthe pull applied to the handle. It is not necessary that theinterconnection of the handle and anchor member be on two plies asillustrated. It could be on one ply only.

It will be noted that the bars illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 are arrangedsuch that they will each swing in a counter-clockwise direction withrespect to the anchor panel. This is a good arrangement, but a preferredarrangement would be to reverse the left of the pairs of bars so thatthe pairs rotate in opposite directions and away from each other. Inthis way, the pairs of bars are stressed in tension to give anadditional bar breaking force. For example, if the left handed pair ofbars were changed so that the Z-shaped cut in the middle had its mid-armsloping in the opposite direction, then upon lifting of the handle, theleft handed pair of bars would twist clockwise and the right handed pairof bars would twist counter-clockwise. The two sets would twist awayfrom each other to contribute to breakage of the bars.

The width of the bars will depend upon the strength of the paperboard. Awidth of about three thirtyseconds of an inch for chip-board having athickness of 0.024 is satisfactory.

Modifications to the embodiments of the invention illustrated will beapparent to those skilled in the art. The divider construction can beformed integrally with the container as in the case of US. Pat. No.2,609,137 or it can be separately formed for insertion into a container.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A divider construction for a paperboard container comprising anenvelope and a handle having a grip portion, said grip portion of saidhandle being movable into and out of said envelope, said envelopeincluding an anchor panel for said handle, said handle and said anchorpanel each having a parting edge, said parting edge of said handle beingin juxtaposed relation to said parting edge of said anchor panel,tearable joining means integrally formed with said handle and with saidanchor panel joining said handle to said anchor panel characterized by abar formation that joins said handle and said anchor panel, one end ofsaid bar formation being spaced from the other end of the bar formationin the direction of the parting edges whereby when said handle isseparated from said anchor panel in a direction across the direction ofsaid parting edges, said bar is twisted and tears whereby said handlebecomes separated from said anchor panel.

2. A divider construction as claimed in claim 1 in which said joiningmeans has a plurality of said elongated bar formations arranged inpairs, one bar of each pair being above the parting edges of said handleand said anchor panel and the other bar of each pair being below theparting edges of said handle and said anchor panel.

3. A divider construction for a paperboard container as claimed in claim1 in which the grain direction of the paperboard extends across said barformation.

4. A divider construction as claimed in claim 1 in which said joiningmeans are spaced along said parting edge on opposite sides of the centreof said parting edge, the direction of twist of said bars of saidjoining means that results from the separation of said handle from saidanchor panel being clockwise on one side of said centre andcounter-clockwise on the other side of said centre with the barsseparating whereby the direction of twist has a tearing effect on saidbars as said handle is separated from said anchor panel.

5. A divider construction for a paperboard container as claimed in claim2 in which the grain direction of the paperboard extends across said barformation.

1. A divider construction for a paperboard container comprising anenvelope and a handle having a grip portion, said grip portion of saidhandle being movable into and out of said envelope, said envelopeincluding an anchor panel for said handle, said handle and said anchorpanel each having a parting edge, said parting edge of said handle beingin juxtaposed relation to said parting edge of said anchor panel,tearable joining means integrally formed with said handle and with saidanchor panel joining said handle to said anchor panel characterized by abar formation that joins said handle and said anchor panel, one end ofsaid bar formation being spaced from the other end of the bar formationin the direction of the parting edges whereby when said handle isseparated from said anchor panel in a direction across the direction ofsaid parting edges, said bar is twisted and tears whereby said handlebecomes separated from said anchor panel.
 2. A divider construction asclaimed in claim 1 in which said joining means has a plurality of saidelongated bar formations arranged in pairs, one bar of each pair beingabove the parting edges of said handle and said anchor panel and theother bar of each pair being below the parting edges of said handle andsaid anchor panel.
 3. A divider construction for a paperboard containeras claimed in claim 1 in which the grain direction of the paperboardextends across said bar formation.
 4. A divider construction as claimedin claim 1 in which said joining means are spaced along said partingedge on opposite sides of the centre of said parting edge, the directionof twist of said bars of said joining means that results from theseparation of said handle from said anchor panel being clockwise on oneside of said centre and counter-clockwise on the other side of saidcentre with the bars separating whereby the direction of twist has atearing effect on said bars as said handle is separated from said anchorpanel.
 5. A divider construction for a paperboard container as claimedin claim 2 in which the grain direction of the paperboard extends acrosssaid bar formation.